With holiday season approaching, there's no better time to learn to create adorable cake pops. This interactive two-hour class provides all the materials necessary to create your bakery quality pops, and guests can take their edible artwork home. Reserve your spot -- $95 per person -- through the Brooklyn Yarn Cafe website.

Though you'll likely have to wait for a table (there's a no reservations policy here), patience will be rewarded with french toast with fried chicken and eggs benedict sandwiches at this NoMad area bar. Guests should sip coffee cocktails or one of five different bloody marys, too.

Still dreaming about that trip to Hawaii? Settle for a luau off the L train this weekend. Black Tree's Sandy Hall will prepare suckling pig sliders and porchetta for crowds listening to live surf rock from the band High Waisted and other musical guests. Melt will also be in the house dishing out ice cream sandwiches; drinks include tiki punch and jello shots. Tickets are $25.

If you've been sitting on a great chili recipe, step up to the plate this weekend and join this competition. Free for all home chefs and $15 for attendees interested in unlimited chili, the winning bowl will be featured on the bar's menu throughout the remainder of football season. A flight of Harpoon Brewery beers is also included in the entrance fee. Those interested in competing should email chili@professorthoms.com; entrants will be accepted until Friday evening.

Billy Lyons is a weekly contributor to Village Voice dining section. His food-focused articles and videos have also been featured by Zagat and Thrillist. He's always to looking to find the intersection where food meets culture, and believes everyone should have their very own James Bond-style cocktail. Lyons holds a BA from the University of Richmond in Rhetoric and Communication Studies. He can be found on Instagram at @billyondollarman.